I find that since global shipping has come into effect I have been purchasing more from Amazon.

[2014-sorea]

Hello fellow Canadian Ebayers,

I find the global shipping program horrible. I am now finding out that many of the sellers aren't even aware they're part of the program and have replied back to me many time to remove "my" global shipping. Cost aside it now takes 2 weeks or more for me to receive my items, so most of my purchases now are made through Amazon (I actually receive my items in 1-3 business days)

[patken123]

I too buy more from Amazon,if I buy from ebay ,it's usually from
China,HK,,or UK,never tried GSP and never will.I sincerely hope this GSP bites ebay in the rear end and leave a nasty scar..

[dgour98]

I have always bought thru ebay, but... bought 1 item last winter from a seller using the GSP and saw what a load of BS it is. Since then i buy ONLY from within Canada. If the Canadian seller doesn't have it i use Amazon or other sources. So my buying now is 50/50 i would say between ebay and Amazon. So they lost 50% of sales from me due to GSP. 

I am just a drop in a bucket but if many have done what i am doing then it adds up.  Very strange for a business to do things

to push customers away.

[decal-fx]

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@dgour98 wrote:

I have always bought thru ebay, but... bought 1 item last winter from a seller using the GSP and saw what a load of BS it is. Since then i buy ONLY from within Canada. If the Canadian seller doesn't have it i use Amazon or other sources. So my buying now is 50/50 i would say between ebay and Amazon. So they lost 50% of sales from me due to GSP. 

I am just a drop in a bucket but if many have done what i am doing then it adds up.  Very strange for a business to do things

to push customers away.

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I total Agree I first try to buy from a Local Business in my City, then Canadian ebay sellers,  then US Sellers not enrolled in GSP,  then US Sellers if they will opt out of the GSP. Failing that I move on to Amazon & else where. I'd say 25 to 35% of my recent purchases have been somewhere other than eBay as a direct result of the GSP.

[mater721]

"I total Agree I first try to buy from a Local Business in my City, then Canadian ebay sellers,  then US Sellers not enrolled in GSP,  then US Sellers if they will opt out of the GSP. Failing that I move on to Amazon & else where. I'd say 25 to 35% of my recent purchases have been somewhere other than eBay as a direct result of the GSP."

I don't think I've seen many (any?) postings from buyers on ebay that like the GSP. I have not used it yet.

The problem is, for those who buy similar items to what I do (collectibles) it is almost impossible to find them locally. And limiting to just Canadian ebay sellers does not offer enough options either. 99% of sellers offering what I might like are from US. And unfortunately, there seems to be more and more US sellers using GSP.

A few have said they would ship USPS instead of GSP, but then don't bother to change the international shipping options for the listing. Once you pay for a GSP listing, you are stuck.

[weinerdogz]

Ever since this GSP (Greedy Stupid Program) has come in I have saved alot of money because now I rarely anything on ebay anymore. If I do it is only from ones sensible enough not to use it and from Canadian sellers and overseas sellers with the exception of ones in the UK  who have been sucker into it.

[bitcoinfox]

The GSP program is terrible. It is a total scam by Pitney Bowes... They collect all this cash and they only remit the import charges if they are asked (which is rarely if items are under $100) and they just pocket the money..

I bouht a $5 item and they charged me over $20 for shipping!?

I'll never buy from any seller using the GSP. The sellers I have contacted have never even been aware of what Pitney Bowes is charging it's buyers and are shocked when i tell them. This entire program is shady and devious. The shipping. is not listed clearly on the auction either...

Thanks for screwing over ALL Canadians Ebay. You're also hurting US sellers as there are way less people bidding on their item.t..

This program screws the sellers and the buyer..... STOP the GSP. It is a scam.

Good thing there is Amazon and now Alibaba! I use Alibaba a lot more now and have had great experiences and I don't get charged half as much shipping from Asia as it costs me with items usin the GsP/Pitney Bowes...

[00nevermind00]

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@jordin_agnew wrote:

This entire program is shady and devious. The shipping. is not listed clearly on the auction either...

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The program is neither shady nor devious (although the way eBay tacks it onto the listings of unsuspecting sellers is - shall we say - less than transparent.) It IS a very bad deal for Canadian buyers in most instances. But fortunately, it is easily avoided.

Use a computer, not a mobile device, to browse eBay. Use "List View" (not Gallery View) to conduct your searches. All the GSP items will have a blurb that reads "Customs Services and International Tracking Provided". Whenever you see that blurb, ignore the listing and keep on searching.

If you do click a GSP listing, the charges will be clearly visible if you are using a computer (but they won't be if you're using a mobile device.) Buyers should always read listings before bidding/buying. That way they avoid making expensive mistakes such as buying GSP items.

If you want to, you can message GSP sellers to let them know why you won't be bidding on or buying their item. But ultimately, as a buyer, you hold the ultimate power on eBay: the power of the back button.

[afantiques]

They collect all this cash and they only remit the import charges if they are asked (which is rarely if items are under $100) and they just pocket the money..

Postal imports may or may not get charged, but freight imports, which is how GSP items are handled, always get charged. No money apart from their small service charge is pocketed.

It is fortunate for posters in general that casual libel is simply not worth acting upon, I should think the wild accusations on this board would provide a bigger income than their shipping business if there was any cheap and effective way of pursuing the offenders.:-)

I'm not saying the GSP is any good for buyers, but criticism should be based on fact not fantasy or simple misunderstanding of the process.